PM announces Rs2 bn Ramazan package

ISLAMABAD: Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Information Firdous Ashiq Awan on Monday said that Prime Minister Imran Khan had announced Rs2 billion Ramazan package under which essential items were being provided to the people at cheaper rates at the Utility Stores Corporation (USC).

Addressing a joint press conference along with Managing Director USC, Umar Lodhi, she said it was unfortunate that during the holy month of Ramazan, prices of daily use items were increased due to demand and supply gap.

She said keeping in mind the problems of masses Prime Minister Imran Khan had issued directives for issuance of Rs2 billion to the USC so that the common man could be provided relief. She said that subsidy was being given on 19 items, including flour, ghee, cooking oil, pulses, chickpea flour (bason), dates, rice, milk, soft drinks and spices.

Elaborating the subsidy, she said that on a 20 kg bag of flour Rs59 subsidy was being given, whereas Rs5 subsidy was being given on per kilogram of sugar, Rs15 on ghee, Rs10 on cooking oil. Similarly, Rs30 subsidy was being given on dates, Rs10 on spices, and Rs15 on milk. She said the PM had issued directive to the MD USC to ensureavailability of all daily use items at the Utility Stores.

She said that the previous government gave Rs1.6 billion Ramazan package, but only Rs760 million could be utilized, while the remaining amount lapsed due to lack of capacity of the USC.

Replying to the questions of the media, she said that opposition not only had the right to raise public interest issues in the House, but they also needed to accept who ruined the country''s economy.

She said that the present government of Prime Minister Imran Khan would restore the economy and bring about positive change in the lives of the people, but it would need some time as only eight months had passed since PTI took over.

About the so-called distribution of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz posts among the family members, she said that it appeared the PML-N was not a political party, but a private limited company. She said that no parliamentary party or central executive committee meeting was called to take such important decisions.

She said the changes made by PML-N leaders groomed under the shadow of dictatorship were a big joke with the democratic institutions. She said that Election Commission of Pakistan had already announced that a convicted person could not keep any party’s office bearer. She said that appointment of Mariam Nawaz as Vice President of the PML-N was against the law of the land.